Athabasca Tribal Council set to call State of Emergency Thursday over mental health crisis
Posted Sep 5, 2023 6:44 pm.
The Athabasca Tribal Council (ATC), which serves five First Nations communities in northern Alberta, will declare a Regional State of Emergency on Thursday.
In a release Tuesday, the ATC says there’s a serious escalation in mental health and addiction crises within the communities.
According to the ATC, over 30 members of all First Nations served by the Athabasca Tribal Council have been lost to overdose, suicide, or the results of self-harm. This is reportedly more deaths than the entirety of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“When COVID-19 hit, governments responded quickly. They responded with urgency. They responded with funding,” said the ATC in a statement. “When this latest wildfire began to spread, governments responded quickly. They responded with urgency. They responded with funding.
“We need governments to commit to true and continued partnership to address the mental health and addictions crisis that is escalating across this region — with the urgency this crisis requires.”
The announcement will be made in Fort McMurray at 10 a.m.
